Walt Disney World and autism: One mom’s story
Posted by ThemeParkMom on April 14, 2010 | 13 Comments
I had the pleasure of meeting Jenni Williams of Mom to Three Boys last spring at a blogger meet-up sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom. We bonded quickly over the fact that we were both frequent visitors to Walt Disney World. And then, Jenni told me something amazing about Disney World that I didn’t know. You see, one of Jenni’s sons has autism, and Jenni believes that Disney World has changed his life.
To honor Autism Awareness Month, Jenni has graciously agreed to share her family’s story here:
Disney gave me a part of my son that I didn’t even dare to dream I would see when he was diagnosed with autism.
The vibrant, happy, talkative son I have today would not be here if it weren’t for our visits to the Disney Parks.
Three years ago our family was struggling. Noah’s autism was out of control and causing him to have major meltdowns on a daily basis. We could not go to the store without him falling apart.
Places like a mall or Chuck E. Cheese were completely out of the question.
I felt like we were robbing our other two sons. They were missing out on a lot of fun, but I saw no other choice. Our entire family was in survival mode.
When a friend who was a Disney cast member offered to take us to Magic Kingdom, I thought she was insane!
There was no way I could take my child, who couldn’t handle Target, to one of the busiest places on the planet. She assured me Disney was more than equipped to deal with children who have autism and in fact many of those children thrive there. So we decided to give it a try. I was hesitant, but secretly full of glee, because I have always loved Disney.
I quickly learned the Disney Parks are FABULOUS in assisting with special needs of all kinds. At my friend’s suggestion, I went to Guest Services and told them about Noah’s issues. We were given a guest assistance card. There are several types of these cards issued depending on the types of assistance needed, and the one Noah was given made it possible for us to avoid tight crowded spaces. We were able to take back, quieter entrances into rides.
It’s not always faster, but it was less stressful for him. Our day went fabulously. Noah had several periods where he became stressed and needed to calm down, but we were always able to find a family restroom or quiet area to let him decompress in. My other boys had the time of their lives and got to live like a “normal” family. We went home exhausted and happy.
I didn’t think about Disney again until Christmas time, when the same friend was given extra tickets and offered to bring us to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Hollywood Studios. This time I had no reservations and happily accepted her offer.
The night we went was…magical. Corny wording maybe, but it was. Noah came alive. The lights and music brought out a side of him I had never seen.
I cried tears of joy and swore that I would move heaven and earth to have Disney passes for our family. And I did.
We have been season pass holders for two and a half years now. In that time, Noah has gone from riding in a stroller with a blanket over his head, to racing ahead of me to pin trade with cast members.
The cast members are incredible, I have never once come across someone who was anything but wonderful to Noah. On days where he has issues with impulse control, I discretely tell the cast member he is dealing with and they know just what to do.
Noah can handle crowds. He likes to talk to people. He is happy. We are all happy.
Disney alone is not responsible for these huge changes, he has a wonderful team of teachers and therapists, and a family that fights for him everyday. But I know that Disney gave him the motivation to work harder. Disney gave him joy.
Why does it work? I can’t say for sure. Maybe it’s learning to deal with situations that he couldn’t before, all while having fun. Maybe the thrill of rides and characters that help him process his surroundings.
I do know that we are not the only family to find this change. Using the guest assistance card, we are usually waiting with other families of disabled children and we share stories. I have talked to parents of children who were nonverbal who found their voice, some learned to deal with people and crowds, others who lacked emotion found a way to express happiness, and even better are the stories of families who bonded in ways they never thought possible, while visiting the parks.
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That is AWESOME!
What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it.
My DD also has autism and also can’t go into a store at all (though she did just celebrate her 9th birthday at Chuck E Cheese and only had one meltdown, prize time, which we were already prepared for). We go to WDW at least once a year. It is far less stressful than most other vacation spots and the GAC is a lifesaver (she can’t handle crowds either). She rarely smiles (not even at her birthday party), but our last trip she had one of the biggest I’d ever seen when we got to ride up front with the monorail driver (note: because of recent events, I don’t believe they allow this anymore). I miss that smile in between trips and keep hoping that one of these trips, she’ll bring it home with her.
That is AWESOME!
What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it.
My DD also has autism and also can’t go into a store at all (though she did just celebrate her 9th birthday at Chuck E Cheese and only had one meltdown, prize time, which we were already prepared for). We go to WDW at least once a year. It is far less stressful than most other vacation spots and the GAC is a lifesaver (she can’t handle crowds either). She rarely smiles (not even at her birthday party), but our last trip she had one of the biggest I’d ever seen when we got to ride up front with the monorail driver (note: because of recent events, I don’t believe they allow this anymore). I miss that smile in between trips and keep hoping that one of these trips, she’ll bring it home with her.
My DD also has autism and also can’t go into a store at all (though she did just celebrate her 9th birthday at Chuck E Cheese and only had one meltdown, prize time, which we were already prepared for). We go to WDW at least once a year. It is far less stressful than most other vacation spots and the GAC is a lifesaver (she can’t handle crowds either). She rarely smiles (not even at her birthday party), but our last trip she had one of the biggest I’d ever seen when we got to ride up front with the monorail driver (note: because of recent events, I don’t believe they allow this anymore). I miss that smile in between trips and keep hoping that one of these trips, she’ll bring it home with her.
That is AWESOME!
so glad to see this story. we will be taking my autistic son to disney world next summer. it will be the first trip of this nature for any of us. i pray that we will have a wonderful experience.
there is still no permament solution for autism. we just have to take good care of the kids who are suffering autism.“;
Similar story with my Noah at Disneyland. He marveled at the lights and motion on It’s a Small World. That trip was the first time he expressed a feeling – he told me he was hungry. My wife and I have since opened a travel agency specializing in planning Disney vacations for families with Autistic children.
there has been no permanent cure for autism yet but i think stem cells could also help”~”
i have a brother that is autistic and we love him so much and gave all of our support on him ‘-*